*Hideo*

"It's pretty warm here," Sirocco said, fanning himself with a Kasai no Ki style fan as he and the rest of my team arrived. Ki and I been surveying the land. Donato apparently functioned as a camera as Daniel said he was keeping a record of the landscape to share with our allies. Currently, we stood in the midst of a grassland like the one back home. Only difference was the temperature was a lot hotter, making the grass a lot more yellow.

Bora laughed. "You really are a wuss."

"Be nice," Ponien said, crossing her arms over her chest.

Bora rolled his eyes. "Yes, Mom!"

Sirocco sighed. "You really haven't changed."

"This place might be hot, but it's very pretty," Kiara said. She jumped as she saw a herd of elephants in the distance. "Oh, oh!" She took out her phone and began taking pictures.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Taking pictures for Natty, duh!" She began texting away.

I smiled. Yeah, Nat probably would like that. He wanted to play with us a bit more, but we had a job to do. Time was running out.

"We should head to the mesa where the gate is said to be," Levech said as he stood on top of a tree. His golden eyes were directed at a formation as wide as a mountain in diameter. While it had an impressive height, it wasn't as tall as any mountain I'd seen. And its top was oddly flat.

"You seem taken aback, boss man. Never seen one before?" Borasco asked, grinning at me.

I shook my head. "I've only read about them in books."

He laughed. "I guess that isn't unusual for someone who grew up in the fertile east. Back home, such a sight isn't rare, although this one dwarfs all I've seen."

Sirocco adjusted his glasses. "The ones back home have been weathered away much more, almost resembling buttes."

"What's the difference?" Kiara asked.

"A butt is taller than it is wide. While a mesa is wider than it is tall."

"Oh! I see. That thing definitely isn't a butt!"

"Butte, Ki," I said before flying back up.

"If not for the trees, shrubs, and occasional mesa, this place would be very flat," Daniel's voice echoed out of my necklace.

"You know, it's weird that your angel sounds like Dan," Kiara said.

Borasco laughed. "It's not really. It just goes to show how much of a bro-con your big bro is."

"Who are you calling a bro-con?" I asked, grumbling. It wasn't like I picked how Daniel looked or sounded. Plus, he was more like a mix of my siblings. His voice might've sounded like Dan's, but his manner of speaking was more like Sy's.

Ponien gasped.

"What's wrong, Po?" Chuba asked, turning her blue eyes toward her.

"Look over there. At the top of the mesa." She pointed toward a dome. I was no geology expert, but I was pretty sure a dome like that usually meant rising magma. So, was the place an ancient volcano that woke up recently? Although, there would've been more metamorphic rock and obsidian around if that were the case.

"I'll take a closer look," Sirocco said, zipping ahead of us. Levech followed close behind.

"Be careful," Leva mumbled as she cupped her hands together.

"If you're scared, you can stay behind," I said.

"Hide," Ki said, furrowing her brow at me.

What? Had I said something wrong?

"It's okay. I'm not offended," Leva said, smiling slightly. She looked at the dome. "But I am scared. That thing gives off an eerie vibe."

Ponien flew closer to her and put an arm on her shoulders. "I understand how you feel, but we'll be seeing a lot of eerie things in the next forty-eight hours or so."

Leva fidgeted. "That isn't exactly reassuring, Po."

The blue-haired woman let go of her and sighed. "Sorry, I'm better at scolding people than making them feel better."

"Same," Chuba said.

Couldn't say I was any better. Ki was probably the best one, followed by Sirocco. But both could also sometimes say things that weren't helpful.

"Like I said, you can stay back. I won't think any less of you if you do," I said, flying forward.

"I'll go!" Leva said, following me. She still kept looking down. That meant she was still scared, right? So why did she insist on coming with us? I already said that I wasn't going to think ill of her if she backed away.

I shrugged. "Alright, if you insist." We sped up and joined Sirocco and Levech on the mesa's caprock.

"What have our two best brains discovered?" Borasco asked, spreading his arms out. Was he trying to be dramatic?

Sirocco smiled. "Why, thank you!"

"Hmm, I think that was sarcasm," I said.

"Even the kid got it," Borasco said, pointing at me.

Sirocco scoffed. "I know! I was playing it straight to make you regret it, you dunderhead! Anyway, this dome seems to be from ground swelling."

"But it doesn't seem to be from magma," Levech said, moving his right hand across the pie-like surface.

"Come to think about it, isn't caprock supposed to be super tough?" Ki asked.

"So you have studied," I said, chuckling.

Ki grumbled. "Of course I do! Well, when school's in session. Which right now it isn't!"

"Kiara makes a valid point. That this thing is poking out of here makes it very unusual. It also seems to be rather recent."

"I think our enemies are to blame for this," Levech said, standing up. He pressed hands together and raised the index and middle fingers of both hands. He rapidly mumbled something, causing several flame-like lines to swirl around the dome.

"Is that magic?" Kiara asked.

Levech kept his eyes on his job. "No. It's a sealing spell. The ground swell here is from rising darkness. Something akin to the strange black tar we saw in Grand Crater is bubbling underneath the surface."

I rubbed the back of my head. I'd left early, so I hadn't gotten to see any of the black tar he spoke about.

"Hmm? Who dares interrupt our task?" a voice yelled.

I turned and saw a short guy with a blue cloth draped over his shoulder to act like a shirt, and white shorts.

Leva curled her hands into fists. "A demon?!"

The guy snickered as he brought out a black staff with multiple rings dotted with thorns.

All of us winced from the sound it produced.

"Yes, wail in agony, doves!"

"You'll pay for that," I grumbled.

He pointed his staff at the dome. Black flames sprung out from it, destroying the seal. The ground trembled, sending us flying a few inches off the ground.

"Is it going to burst?" Leva asked as she tried to stand.

"I'm not sure," I said, staring at it.

The boy put the staff over his shoulder and smiled. "Not yet, it will on the day of our battle. Now, go before I get serious!"

This guy. Maybe taking care of him would make the upcoming battle easier.

He smiled at me, snapping his fingers. Several more figures appeared out of thin air. "Oh, I forgot to mention that I have company!"

I gritted my teeth.

Bora laughed as he pointed his gun at him. "Come at us then if you think you can take us."

The boy smiled at him. "I would, but two of you are descendants of Lady Margaret. As such, I'll spare you. Or maybe I can kill all but those two."

This guy was already sparing us because that woman was our great-great-grandmother?

Ki grabbed my hand. "Let's go."

"Huh?" I said, eyes wide. "What are you saying? You don't think that we can take them on?"

"Want me to start shooting then, boss?" Borasco asked, grinning at me.

"Surprised you haven't already," Sirocco said.

Ponien stared at the other demons. "Good thing too as we don't know a thing about these guys. But I suspect they know a lot about us."

The boy grinned as he came closer. "Yeah. I know a lot about you! From what kind of food you love to who you love."

She gasped.

Borasco laughed. "You're bluffing!"

The boy snickered. "Your favorite food is kofta and you're in love with Ponien."

His face turned red. "W-what? Stop lying!"

"I knew it," Sirocco said.

"Are you seriously going to believe this demon?"

"Bora makes a point," Chuba said as she readied her bow.

"So, what's it going to be, Sir Hideo? Are you going to fight today or retreat like your sister wishes?" the boy said, taking a step closer.

I stared at the dome, then back at the boy. Just how much did he know?

He smirked. "I know that you plan to contain the war around this mesa and if not, then at least this continent. Not that it would make a difference. Lady Margaret doesn't wish to destroy this planet, much less this universe. In fact, she wishes to give it to a certain someone. So, go. Put up the stuff you need to make your defensive system."

"This guy's no joke," Chuba mumbled.

Leva whimpered. "How do we beat a guy who knows everything about us?"

He claimed he knew everything, but what if it was merely a bluff? He could've just been a demon familiar with things people loved. No, that wouldn't have made any sense. He clearly knew what we were planning. Wait, could his power actually be reading minds?

The boy laughed. "Still doubting me, Sir Hideo?" He pointed his staff at me. "If so, then how about we fight?"

"No, I'm fine," I said, turning around.

He gasped. "Really?"

I smirked. "Yeah. We'll retreat! But don't kick yourself in the afterlife for letting us go. Not that you would be able to beat us now. I'm just being magnanimous as you're my ancestor's little peon."

The boy laughed. "Nice try. Although, I can say for sure that you are indeed her descendant. You try to get into your opponent's mind and make them mad or cause them to doubt themselves."

"Oh, I'm not playing mind games," I said, my eyes glowing.

His smile vanished. "That's something she and her kids would say as well."

Great, I sounded just like Satoru! But I did get some valuable info on my ancestor.

"Say, how about we help you save your brother in return for joining us? If Lady Margaret defeats Reginald's forces, she'll be able to access the pit where your brother fell."

I stopped.

"Hide, don't listen to him," Ki mumbled.

"I know," I whispered, walking on ahead. "We will meet again, on the battlefield in a few days. Until then, farewell, demon boy." 

He laughed. "Suit yourself." He licked his lips. "I look forward to tearing your heart out and devouring it."

Demons weren't to be trusted. I would save Dan, but not by relying on shady people. Depending on a shady guy was what got me into this war in the first place after all.

*Tetsuya*

I stared at my shield as I poured several herbs on top of it. Before they could hit it, the green gem core absorbed them. Within, they catalyzed to make mid-level prana pills. I had used this to make the prana pills for my cousin Kiara using the recipe Mr. Suzuran had provided Hideo. But right now, I was working on making stronger versions for our mage allies. I'd also made some cultivation pills to help them grow stronger. Although, I wasn't sure how good of a job they would do. Wonder if Agnes could tell like it could with potions.

"Medicinal Skill leveled up," Agnes's voice rang out of the namesake shield. I still hadn't come up with another name for her like how the other guys had for their angels.

I smiled as I stared at the pills. Progress was slow but steady. I'd locked myself up in this room where time flowed as strangely as it did in Munil. Although, perhaps a little quicker. Hopefully, this experience would help me develop a cure for Ma, Grandma, and Yuko. I wanted to give Ma and Grandma their ability to walk again and to give all three a prolonged life.

But potion making wasn't all I'd been up to while locked up in this cavern room. I'd taken the time to practice my shield bashing and sword swings. If I planned to survive this war, I needed to awaken all the abilities and skills possible.

Etsuo was also hard at work in another cavern like this one. He'd locked himself away in it around the same time I had. Who knew how powerful he would get. If we found ourselves on opposite sides, it could prove to be detrimental in the future. To defeat Margaret, we made shortsighted decisions. Albeit, I trusted Etsuo to turn on us less than I did Roa. If the risk was high, I probably would've protested allowing that guy to use the other 'Cavern of Cultivation'.

I gasped as the boulder blocking the entrance moved.

"Working hard, I see," Rosa said as she entered the cavern room. Her pregnancy had finally started to show.

I smiled and nodded. "I just leveled up again."

"New form obtained," Agnes said, drawing my attention back to the shield. It began to glow bright green. The metal turned liquid and rearranged itself around the core until it formed the shape of a lotus flower, pointed flower protrusions included.

"Woah!" Rosa said as she opened her eyes and lowered her arms.

"Woah indeed. I didn't think it could do that," I said, staring at it.

"What can that do?" Rosa asked, glancing over my shoulder.

"I'm not sure, but if raising my medicinal level awakened it, it's probably tied to herbs and such."

Rosa chuckled. "Would be funny if it involves plant mana, given you rejected Tabiki's proposal to train you in it."

The color in my face drained a little. We were almost out of time. If that was the case, this new form wouldn't help.

"Don't worry," Agnes said. "I can handle that. Although, plant mana isn't the only attribute of this new shield. Its true strength lies in its healing abilities."

"Explain," I said, leaning forward.

"My new abilities include Blessed Aromatherapy, which allows me to cure any 'status' but the most deadly of poisons and burns; Renata's Cloak, a ward that prevents 'status' for the wielder; and Healing Parameter which provide regenerative abilities compatible with your own to allies within a certain parameter. The reach and time of the lattermost ability depends on your 'Medicinal Skill' rank. As it stands now, that's a radius of five miles with a duration of half an hour."

I chuckled. Spoken like a true RPG guide. A few days ago, I'd also awaken an ability called 'Guardian Tank', which Agnes claimed allowed me to take damage for my allies if they were within the same five mile radius. If I broadened that radius, the better I would do in my task as the team's tank.

"So, what brings you here? Just checking up on your hermit groom?" I asked, glancing over my shoulder.

Rosa shook her head. "I came to say we'll be leaving soon."

I looked back at my shield. "Oh." That's right, she had to go back home. According to the predictions of Adela's mother, the war would start tomorrow. Hideo and his unit had already gone on ahead to Vandavale earlier today to familiarize themselves with their surroundings. At least that's what Agnes told me. She could still communicate with the others' guardian angels.

"Hope we can see each other soon," Rosa said, looking down. She rubbed her belly.

I held my hand out and put it over her stomach. Our little one was developing nicely. One of the skills my increased medicinal ranking gave me was health perception. Which came in handy for moments like this and analyzing my mom, grandma, and Yuko's health. As well as Rosa's.

My eyes rose up to meet hers. "You shouldn't stress out. Get some rest. We'll be fine. Setty, your Hyosetsu, your father, and I will come back to you."

Tears swelled up. "You promise?"

I pressed my head against her belly and hugged her. "Of course I do." I wasn't going to let my child grow up without a father like I had. If I did, I would've surely turned in my grave.

**Solar Note: Hope that you enjoyed this chapter :). Hope you look forward to the next arc!**